- The Ledger Hack back in June appears to have been filled with a lot more data than Ledger originally mentioned
- If your data was included in the data dump from the Ledger hack, it’s worth taking these steps to secure yourself once more
- The data from the Ledger Hack is a reminder that nothing we submit online or to anyone, for that matter, is ever truly safe and secure
In case you missed it earlier this week, which we find hard to believe, a massive list of Ledger customers and their data was published in an online forum. The data was originally stolen in a hack back in June, with Ledger stating that it was just “marketing information” that was pilfered.
But, as the latest dump of the data shows, it was WAY more than that. So, if you’re on that list and freaking out/very angry, here are a few steps that you can take to re-secure yourself as well as keep your crypto and other accounts as safe as can be!
Get Yourself a New Phone Number
First up, you’re going to need to head on down to your local cell network provider shop and explain the situation. In no time at all, and for a very reasonable price, they will be able to transfer any contract you have over to a new number and provide you with a sim card with that number. If you have a dual sim phone, you can opt to run both numbers at the same time, using your new number for private contacts/people you actually know and the other, compromised number, for everything else.
These days, a great deal of 2FA services all rely on your mobile phone number in order to receive a code on. If your number is published on a list like this Ledger hack, someone could potentially try to sim swap attack you. If they pull this off, they could gain access to huge swathes of your personal life, data and files. So, play it safe and get yourself a new number ASAP.
Prepare Yourself for Spam Email Galore
If you’ve been in the crypto world for any period of time, you’ll know that the spam emails come in thick and fast when you’re relatively tight with where you give your email address. So, now that your email address is on a list of people who are genuine Ledger customers, you can expect the spam to come in at 100x the usual rate.
Within hours of the data going live on the clear web, spammers and chancers were sending out emails to everyone on the list. So, you can either prepare to face the onslaught of the spammy emails, or you can just get yourself a new email account. If you’re wise and care about your security, you’ll have a personal email and one you use for things like purchasing online anyway. So, if you’re sensible, this shouldn’t impact you anyway. Just prepare for your sacrificial lamb inbox to blow up.
Consider A PO Box
This tip won’t fix anything undone by this Ledger hack, but it will protect you against any future leaks of other stores that require your address. You can pick up a PO box at your local post office, and some even come with mail forwarding. Prices are very reasonable and they protect your home address from being leaked.
If your home address is compromised and you’ve posted somewhere how much crypto you have, we’re looking at you people of crypto Facebook who post your portfolios, then there’s a chance a dedicated crypto thief could come knocking. So, cut out this chance and use a PO box when ordering online – it’s safer.
Why Didn’t Ledger Warn You Sooner?
Ledger did notify everyone that they had been hacked, but they concealed the data that was floating around. Now that it has hit the clear web, this data is visible to the entire world, revealing just how big the hack actually was back in June. Ledger should have contacted everyone and told them how much data on them was leaked, rather than trying to cover it up.
If Ledger took this step, more people could have prepared and planned for the eventual release of their information to the clear web. So, use these steps listed and you’ll protect yourself from any of the fallout from this leak and any future leaks. Let’s face it, there will be many more of this kind as time goes on. Why not spend a little time now preparing for it and making sure you’re safe next time around.
